| Chapter 4
|
| 1 | Now when the
adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity
builded the temple unto the LORD God of Israel; |
|
2 | Then they came to Zerubbabel, and to the chief of the
fathers, and said unto them, Let us build with you: for we seek your God, as ye
do; and we do sacrifice unto him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assur,
which brought us up hither. |
| 3 |
But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the chief of the fathers of
Israel, said unto them, Ye have nothing to do with us to build an house unto
our God; but we ourselves together will build unto the LORD God of Israel, as
king Cyrus the king of Persia hath commanded us. |
|
4 | Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the
people of Judah, and troubled them in building, |
|
5 | And hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their
purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius
king of Persia. |
| 6 | And in
the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, wrote they unto him an
accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem. |
| 7 | And in the days of Artaxerxes wrote
Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their companions, unto Artaxerxes
king of Persia; and the writing of the letter was written in the Syrian tongue,
and interpreted in the Syrian tongue. |
|
8 | Rehum the chancellor and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter
against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king in this sort: |
| 9 | Then wrote Rehum the chancellor, and
Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their companions; the Dinaites, the
Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the Archevites, the
Babylonians, the Susanchites, the Dehavites, and the Elamites, |
| 10 | And the rest of the nations whom the
great and noble Asnapper brought over, and set in the cities of Samaria, and
the rest that are on this side the river, and at such a time. |
| 11 | This is the copy of the letter that
they sent unto him, even unto Artaxerxes the king; Thy servants the men on this
side the river, and at such a time. |
|
12 | Be it known unto the king, that the Jews which came up from thee
to us are come unto Jerusalem, building the rebellious and the bad city, and
have set up the walls thereof, and joined the foundations. |
| 13 | Be it known now unto the king, that,
if this city be builded, and the walls set up again, then will they not pay
toll, tribute, and custom, and so thou shalt endamage the revenue of the
kings. |
| 14 | Now because we
have maintenance from the king's palace, and it was not meet for us to see the
king's dishonour, therefore have we sent and certified the king; |
| 15 | That search may be made in the
book of the records of thy fathers: so shalt thou find in the book of the
records, and know that this city is a rebellious city, and hurtful unto kings
and provinces, and that they have moved sedition within the same of old time:
for which cause was this city destroyed. |
| 16 | We certify the king that, if this city be builded
again, and the walls thereof set up, by this means thou shalt have no portion
on this side the river. |
| 17 |
Then sent the king an answer unto Rehum the chancellor, and to Shimshai the
scribe, and to the rest of their companions that dwell in Samaria, and unto the
rest beyond the river, Peace, and at such a time. |
|
18 | The letter which ye sent unto us hath been
plainly read before me. |
| 19 |
And I commanded, and search hath been made, and it is found that this city
of old time hath made insurrection against kings, and that rebellion and
sedition have been made therein. |
|
20 | There have been mighty kings also over Jerusalem, which have
ruled over all countries beyond the river; and toll, tribute, and custom, was
paid unto them. |
| 21 | Give
ye now commandment to cause these men to cease, and that this city be not
builded, until another commandment shall be given from me. |
| 22 | Take heed now that ye fail not to do
this: why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings? |
| 23 | Now when the copy of king Artaxerxes'
letter was read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions,
they went up in haste to Jerusalem unto the Jews, and made them to cease by
force and power. |
| 24 | Then
ceased the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem. So it ceased unto
the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia. |
